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Facilities

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Signs & Maps

Established Camping

Soda Butte Campground

6 Reviews

Soda Butte Campground, near Cooke City, Montana, is a prime location for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while keeping an eye out for wildlife. This campground is all about the basics, featuring primitive sites with potable water and a few amenities like pit toilets and bear boxes to keep your food safe from curious critters.

Visitors rave about the peaceful atmosphere, with some sites offering stunning mountain views and a mix of shaded and sunny spots. As one camper noted, “Campsites are all primitive although there is potable water available.” Just remember, this is bear country, so hard-sided campers are a must, and it’s wise to be cautious—grizzlies have been spotted roaming the area.

If you’re up for some adventure, the surrounding Custer Gallatin National Forest is perfect for hiking and exploring. Plus, you’re just a stone's throw from Cooke City, where you can find cozy restaurants and a great little coffee shop that serves up delicious baked goods. Whether you’re stopping by for a night or planning a longer stay, Soda Butte Campground offers a tranquil escape in the heart of Montana’s wilderness.

Description

National Forest

Custer Gallatin National Forest

THIS CAMPGROUND IS HARD SIDED CAMPING ONLYOpen late June__- Labor Day, weather dependent.A campground in Beartooth Country__on the Gardiner District. Maps: Soda Butte Campground MapCamp sites: 27Accessible Facilities:Fire GratesFood BoxesTablesTent PadsToiletsTrash CansWaterTrash Pickup: NoFirewood: NoNo Reservations: This campground does not use a reservation system, it is managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware the campground may fill up on weekends & holidays during the summer months and you should arrive in the early afternoon to ensure there is a space available for the night.Information:Gardiner OfficeP.O. Box 5; 805 Scott St.Gardiner, MT 59030(406) 848-7375

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Location

Soda Butte Campground is located in Montana

Directions

1 mi E of Cooke City on US 212

Coordinates

45.02419 N
109.91201 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

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WiFi
Unknown
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AT&T
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T-Mobile
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Site Types

RV Sites

Features

For Campers

Trash
Drinking Water
Toilets
Alcohol

For Vehicles

Big Rig Friendly

Contact

General Info

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Drive Time

2 hrs 52 min from Bozeman
4 hrs 11 min from Billings
4 hrs 16 min from Helena
6 hrs 7 min from Idaho Falls

Greg J.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 30, 2023

Quiet and peaceful

Campsites are all primitive although there is potable water available. Nice variety of sites from shaded and secluded to open and sunny. Some sites have a great view of the mountain. Beware, grizzlies have been roaming the grounds. Hard sided campers are highly recommended.

Site8

Month of VisitAugust

N I.

Legend

Reviewed Oct. 27, 2021

Bear Country

Dates: open late June (weather permitting) - Sep 30

Fees: $20.00 Additional vehicle $5.00

Reservations: FCFS

Sites: 27 Accessibility: yes

Amenities: pit toilet, fire ring/grill, picnic table, bear box, trash, water

Alerts: No tents, hard side only due to bears Bear boxes food storage NOT FOR TRASH

I love the security lights on the pit toilets. The forest is beautiful with all the pine trees. There are a lot of open areas which is great for solar. Large rigs will do great in this campground. Road is gravel and so are pads. It can be very dusty so drive slow and keep the dust down. Some sites are very private and some not so much. The back drop of the trees and mountains make this a great place to spend some time.

LNT

BTWYFI

Travel safe

Month of VisitOctober

(16) View All

Dave L.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 30, 2021

Sleep in the car!

We found this campsite on the way to Yellowstone. We slept in the car and put our coolers and bins in the Bear box next to the site. The campground was full of campers and wasn't too bad with the generators. We were close to the bathroom and water.overall it was a good experience.
Close to town and the main gate.

Site4

Month of VisitJuly

Ryan

Ranger

Reviewed Jun. 27, 2021

Bear Country

After a bad experience of trying to get in at one of the more primitive sites in northeast Yellowstone, we were extremely lucky to find out that this campground opened early this year. They usually arent open until July. Our experience here was wonderful. Very quiet, peaceful, and the host is a great guy. This is definitely bear country here so hard sided units only. There was a brutal bear attack here around 10 years ago leaving one dead and two severely injured, so just a heads up! There is a day use only area that is for that reason. Mosquitoes are were pretty bad here when we stayed.

Month of VisitJune

(4) View All

Amy S.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 19, 2021

Great remote site

Near the town of Cooke City. Great campground with plenty of space. Bear an off-road trail. Grizzly bear country. Cooke City was great little restaurants. Our fave is a little coffee shop in the East side of town. Great hot chocolate and coffee. The baked goods were so good!

Site13

Month of VisitJune

Traci

Traveler

Reviewed Feb. 3, 2021

Hidden Gem

Amazing little campground with a great host. Hard sided campers only. Nestled in the woods with an amazing view. We had a moose walk through our camp. Did not see any bears but they have been known to frequent the campground. Bear boxes provided for keeping food and supplies safe at each site. We stayed in July and September.